Comfort

Ryuu turned his face away from hers. He could not bear to look her in the eyes, for in those eyes he was afraid of seeing the fear that plagued his dreams. He was afraid of seeing the eyes he saw every night; eyes filled with terror, staring at him like he was some sort of monster. He didn't want to lose her, she was the only one around who somehow understood him and his ways; she was, he wasn't afraid of admitting, his best friend. But would he be able to lie to his best friend more? He had lied tons of times before about his condition; what made this time different?

He could feel her paw rubbing his back this time.

She was eerily close to him, and he didn't know what to think; his mind was racing back and forth, it was impossible to know what to do, what to say! However… as she kept rubbing his back in that gentle manner, he could feel himself relaxing… He took deep breaths, and his drumming heart slowly but surely calmed down in his chest, leaving behind an aching wound he wasn't sure would close. He lowered his head, a harsh migraine settling at the back of his head. He wouldn't dare imagine how miserable he must have looked at that moment… 

Subconsciously, or perhaps instinctively, Ryuu's head started swaying to the side… and gently settled against Azelea's furry chest.

The female Wyngro was surprised, to say the least. Ryuu was certainly not the kind to ever show any kind of affection, physically or verbally; but as she looked down at his sad, miserable face and listened to those heartwrenching whimpers, it felt like she was looking at someone… different. He was the same Ryuu she knew, but… different. Her fluttering heart settled down, and she offered him a kind smile, wrapping her leg around his back to hold him closer – a hug in which Ryuu changed, ever so slightly. She heard him sigh deeply, and saw him close his eyes.

It was clear to her that she wouldn't get an answer as to what he had seen or what was happening to him tonight. Perhaps he wasn't ready for it, perhaps now wasn't the correct time. Since he had no words she could listen to… she could instead offer her presence. And so, she lowered her head closer to him, to make sure he heard her as she asked in a whisper:

"Do you mind if I stay with you tonight then?"

She wasn't expecting much of an answer, so she stood surprised when her friend nodded his head, the smallest movement. With a warm smile, she hugged him a bit closer – glad to notice that his boiling skin had lowered in temperature – and was about to say something else when he spoke.

His voice was low, broken, the saddest music box…

"Thanks, Aze… I… I feel better…"

It was all he muttered that night, but it was sufficient for her. Azelea briefly tightened the hug before gently coaxing him to lay back down on the bed. He was completely exhausted; he laid limply on his side, with no energy left to even lift his head. She quickly followed suit and laid down next to him, setting her head on top of his neck so she could give him all the warmth her fur could give. Some scared part of her expected him to push her away, but he instead curled his body toward her, sliding his head against her and closing his eyes. By the time they were locked in a tight cocoon of fur and feathers, Ryuu has already fallen back asleep… leaving Azelea to her own thoughts.

This is an answer to this: https://lunar-xerneas.deviantart.com/art/Talk-To-Me-730726188

Who didn't see it coming? It was bound to happen. *insert evil laugh* Those two drawings I did for this little plot were quite interesting, technique wise! Azelea's new coloration made it pretty hard to shade it in a dark lit room, but I must say I am rather pleased with the result. I am also practicing using a slightly different technique with my shading, incorporating my base sketch more into the drawing. I quite like it!

Hope you enjoyed this little plot!